Life on the Run II
by hamsterpickle1313
Summary: Mornhavon is dead, and Estora broke the marriage between herself and the king. Karigan finds herself running from provincial soldiers when she escapes the castle. Continuation of the original by Thylacine67.
1. Chapter 14

**Title: **Life on the Run II

**Summary: **Mornhavon is dead, and Estora broke the marriage between herself and the king. Karigan finds herself running from provincial soldiers when she escapes the castle. Why did she run? And why are the soldiers after her? Where will she go and will the king ever find a wife and produce and heir? Read and find out.

**A/N: **This was originally started by Thylacine67, who unfortunately is too busy to finish it, so I'm continuing. She'll hopefully be able to work on the sequel. This part starts at Chapter 14, so it won't make any sense whatsoever if you haven't read the original (fanfiction dot net/s/7199468/1/Life_on_the_Run). This first chapter's really short. In a week or two keyboard at home will be fixed, and I won't have to work on this on the school computers.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, and if I did, certain characters would long ago have had a strange and sudden urge to jump off a very tall cliff.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

_Karigan awoke to find her vision filled by a pair of large blue eyes staring down at her. The eyes were somehow threatening yet benign, guarded yet open, enticing, bestial. Intoxicating. They drew her in somehow, promising nothing yet everything. These were the eyes of a powerful being, one who could save or destroy her at whim. They were the eyes of a tiger, perhaps one pretending to be tame. Karigan felt that she could lose herself in them forever._

_Alarmed, she sat up and leaned against something deliciously soft, only to see the eyes lose their otherworldly quality. Their edges became less pronounced and they blended into a lifelike scene right out of a fairy tale. An Eletian prince and his court danced in a moonlit bower. The eyes belonged to a man sitting to the left of the prince himself, foot tapping to the beat of some unheard music. His cloak was of a deep, royal red, embroidered with silver. A mane of sandy blonde hair fell into his eyes and Karigan could almost see him raise his hand to push it back._

_Almost, because it was at that point that Karigan realized she was staring up into a painting. She struggled to sit up on her own, only to flop back down into a large pile of pillows. She wiggled her fingers and toes and wondered what she'd broken this time._

_Awaking always disoriented Karigan. Since she'd been stabbed with the poisoned blade of a Mirwell knife, her life had blended into a haze of a boring pattern of sleep and pain, a pattern interrupted only by the regular arrival of an Eletian with another bittersweet-smelling poultice. This time, however, something was different. Well, the lifelike painting was new, but so was the odd, uncomfortable tingling in her legs._

_Karigan looked down to see a head on her legs. Attached to the head was a neck, followed by a body, and (she assumed) legs. It was a body she knew well, for she'd spent quite a long time studying its profile from afar._

_"Zachary," she whispered hoarsely, the first time she'd spoken since leaving Sacor City._

_The head groaned. "I'm coming, Grandmother, honestly. Just a few more min.."_

_She hissed at him. "Zachary. Zachary!"_

_"Hnn?" The head raised itself and stared at her blearily, blinking sleep from its eyes. "Karigan? KARIGAN! You're awake!" He lunged for her and bestowed a bear hug so tight she thought her eyes would pop out of her head and her intestines out of her stomach."_

_"Ay wonf ee fuw lunghh iff oo don ge off me."_

_Zachary rose to his elbows and looked down bemusedly. "What was that?"_

_"Get off, you great lump. And help me stand up."_

_Zachary rose and performed a bow. "As my lady wishes."_

_Karigan almost giggled before stopping herself due to the still fading pain in her ribs. "It's a good thing we have the captain around to stop you from making a fool of yourself in front of the entire country."_

_The King put a hand to his heart in mock pain. "You mock me." He leaned close and made his voice low and threatening. "It is not good to offend a king."_

_Karigan felt her breath catch for a moment at the change that came over him before she leaned forward and kissed him passionately on the lips._

Karigan leaned backwards against Zachary's chest and inhaled deeply. The scents of the Eletian forest filled her with a sense of peace and security. Or maybe that was the smell of her king, a soothing mix of soap, sweat, and horse leather. Either way, she felt content with life. The last few days since she had been pronounced fit to leave the Eletian equivalent of the Mender's Wing had been a happy blur of peaceful walks in the forest and on the shores of lakes, along sparkling creeks and through moonlit meadows, of riding bareback through woods where no humans had been before, and of eating food that no humans had ever tasted.

She must have dozed off, for when she awoke it was late afternoon and the sun sent long shadows racing among the trees. Next to her, Zachary shifted and muttered. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer. Karigan let out a squeak of pain and wriggled until she was adjusted comfortably. She had just gotten the king's arm perfectly positioned beneath her head when a pair of delicate shoes appeared in front of her eyes. Somial the Eletian stood in front of her, hand outstretched to help her to her feet.

"Rise, Karigan, daughter of Kariny, and come with me," he said in his sleepy lion's voice. "We have much to discuss."

Karigan returned to find Zachary sitting up and eating a plate of bread, cheese, and wine. He looked up when she approached, unconcerned, and scooted over so she could occupy a part of the tree trunk.

There was an awkward moment of silence before they both spoke at once.

"You go first."

"No, you."

Karigan glared at him until he relented.

"Fine. I've been thinking, and it seems like it's time we were getting back to Sacor City."

Karigan felt as if cold hands had reached in and grabbed her heart. "Go…_back_?" Go back, back to where these pleasant weeks would be naught but a dream? Back to where Zachary and she could never be, back to where he was a king and she remained a merchant? Back to the hard, uncaring life of being a Green Rider? Back, to face her father and her friends and have to tell them she would never see them again?

"Yes. I mean, it's been wonderful being here, but don't you think it's time we went back to the business of protecting the realm and all that?"

Karigan winced. "But…we could be happy here. You could let your heir take over. We could stay here, just the two of us, as ordinary people."

"We should not overstay our welcome," Zachary protested.

"Overstay our welcome? They just asked us to stay! Think of it, Zachary! We could stay here forever, just you and me and the Eletians, and they leave us alone most of the time. And-"

"Karigan. Do you hear yourself? You sound like my brother, ready to jump at the chance of eternal life, or whatever it is Shawdell promised him. What about Condor? Your father? What about the kingdom?"

Karigan wrenched herself away from him. _Condor_. How could she leave her horse? How could she just leave him, alone, waiting for a rider who would never return? But how could she return, knowing the fate that awaited her? Knowing that eventually, she would have to leave all she loved, again, permanently this time.

"Zachary, I…" She sighed. "I need time to think." She got up and paced around the clearing, not seeing any of the beautiful scenery through a blurry wall of tears. It was selfish of her to let Zachary go where she would not, to let him face the danger alone. But if she left…No, it was better not to think of that. If she did, she would never leave.

"Karigan?" He appeared behind her, arms outstretched.

"Don't!" She sprinted blindly into the darkening woods, leaving the king staring after her in bewilderment.

* * *

Lord Timas Mirwell, ruler of Mirwell Province, slammed a fist down on his desk, causing the man across from him to flinch.

"Do you know what your failure has cost me, captain?" Timas hissed. "I will not stand by and allow that filthy woman to be Queen! Find her, I say, and bring her to me, alive, or I will hang you by your innards from the top of my observatory."

"Yes, my lord," the captain stuttered, perhaps remembering the punishments that late Lord Mirwell had been so fond of giving. "But-"

"No excuses! I expect to see you back here within the month, with the greenie woman!" Timas was practically spitting now. "Do not fail me again."

"But, my lord, she-"

"Dismissed, captain."

"But-"

"Did you not hear me? Get _out_!"

The poor captain barely managed a shallow bow in his terror. As the doors clanged shut behind him, Timas leaned back in his throne and smirked. The greenie would be his in time, and then she would pay. He picked up an Intrigue piece from the board beside him and rolled it thoughtfully between his forefinger and thumb.

Yes, there would be a reckoning to come.


	2. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **If they were mine, you wouldn't be reading this on your computer screen, now would you?

**A/N: **This is a bit choppy. I kind of tried to fit a ton of stuff in one chapter, with the end result that a lot happens, but makes no sense whatsoever. Feel free to use (a lot of) imagination in the gaps. The story is always more interesting that way.

Yeah, I'm babbling. So anyway, about that story I was supposed to be writing...

* * *

Karigan snuggled closer to Zachary and put her head on his shoulder. The remains of their picnic lay discarded in front of them and their horses grazed peacefully on the shores of the Lost Lake. Fastion stood an uncharacteristically respectful distance away, on guard for any intruders, not that many people passed this way any more. Zachary brushed her hair with his lips and Karigan felt a tingle run down her spine.

Peaceful as the scene was, Karigan could not help remembering the last picnic she'd had here with a man who meant something to her. That picnic had ended in disaster, with the ill-fated hunting party that had ended in battle. Groundmites had ambushed the King's hunt and many had been killed, including six of Zachary's most faithful hounds. This loss had hit Zachary particularly hard; if Karigan closed her eyes, she could still see his tortured expression as he wept for his lost dogs.

And there, on that hill, she had battled Shawdell the Eletian as he tried to put Zachary's brother on the throne so he could destroy the D'Yer wall protecting Sacordia from the black forces of Mornhavon.

His soft voice interrupted her mournful thoughts. "You're remembering, aren't you." It was not a question.

Karigan nodded slightly and turned her face into his tunic so he would not see the tears welling up in her eyes. _It's all right now,_ she told herself._ He's gone now. For good._ But she could not convince herself that everything was _all right_. There was the small matter of Timas trying to kill her, as well as…_ No. Don't think about it. Everything will be fine._ This method had worked for Karigan in the past; whenever the fear of the future became too great, she repeated the mantra over and over again in her head. _You're fine, you're fine, you're fine._

Zachary hugged her and Karigan inhaled deeply, content to simply breath in his scent.

After a while, he spoke again. "Uhh, Kari? Could you perhaps reposition yourself? You are putting my arm to sleep."

Grumbling and with much commotion, Karigan eventually adjusted herself until she was lying across his lap, head cushioned in the crook of his left elbow.

They lay like that for a time, sprawled in the sun, content simply to be in each others' company before they both spoke at the same time.

"Zachary-"

"Kari-"

"You go first."

"What? Nah, you can go."

"I insist."

Karigan huffed; why was it that she always lost these encounters? "Fine. I've been wondering-"

She was cut off by his lips covering hers; her eyes widened, but she didn't pull away until breathing became necessary.

"Sorry, Rider. Couldn't resist." Karigan could hear the laughter in his voice and the self-satisfied smirk was really just too much-

"My lord?" Fastion's grave voice interrupted the moment. "We must be back at the castle in approximately" - he glanced up at the sun- "twenty minutes for your meeting with the ambassador from Rhovanny."

Zachary sighed and got to his feet, dumping Karigan unceremoniously to the ground. She squeaked in indignation, but allowed him to pull her to her feet.

"Why is it," Zachary muttered under his breath, "that we are always interrupted just when things might be getting interesting?"

Karigan decided to ignore this comment, but scowled at Fastion when she saw him wink at the king as he passed.

"Men," she growled to Condor as she mounted.

Condor looked thoroughly unconcerned.

* * *

"Marriage?" Karigan squawked. "But your duty to the crown, to the country-"

"It is my opinion, and the opinion of the public, that common blood is needed, and that you would be the best candidate."

She surveyed the King. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and she noticed for the first time how nervous he looked. His cheeks were tinged with pink and sweat beaded at his hairline. All in all, Karigan decided, he looked exactly like Ben had when about to ride a horse for the first time.

"Well," she replied carefully, "I would be delighted-"

"Excellent!" Zachary shouted. "I'll start preparing at once- if I hurry, I can have the invitations sent out by tomorrow!"

"Zachary," Karigan interrupted.

"And we can have all the Green Riders, and of course a few weapons, I think we should keep it small…"

"Zachary!"

"…and maybe your friend from Selium, what was her name? Ella? Esther? Oh yeah, Estral. And-"

"ZACHARY!" she bellowed at the top of her lungs.

Dust fell from the ceiling and a bird shrieked indignantly before fleeing the premises. Zachary stared at her, bewildered.

"What?"

"You didn't let me finish! I would be delighted to marry you, except that it will probably incite civil war, bring violence down on both our heads, alienate _all_ the Lord Governors, and cause endless complications in matters of state-"

"Who cares?"

This time Karigan was the bewildered one.

"What?"

"Who cares? I mean, we can avoid all that, it won't start civil war, the public will be happy to have common blood on the throne, the Lord Governors, well, I don't know what to do about them yet, but… You're exaggerating. I've already discussed this with many of my advisors, and-"

He froze mid-sentence at the death glare she was giving him.

"Zachary Hillander, if I _ever_ hear you say 'Who cares?' when talking about the welfare of your people, your country, an entire _way of life_, I swear, I will get out my staff and beat you with it until you cannot walk for a month."

Zachary grinned. "You can't mean that, Kari."

"Oh, but I do."

He looked into her eyes for a moment before dropping his to stare at the ground beneath her feet. "Okay, I didn't quite mean it like that. But still-"

Karigan interrupted him. "I will marry you if you get the Lord Governors' permission. Until then, don't speak of this again."

She turned and strode out of the supply shed, leaving the King behind with a radiant smile on his face.

* * *

Condor snorted quietly in the still, cold, exhaling two puffs of steam which curled up and dissipated into the darkness. Karigan stroked his nose soothingly and cinched up the girth, poking him in the ribs so he would be unable to hold his breath and cause the saddle to slide off. He chomped threateningly on the bit and flicked his ears to show his disapproval at being dragged out of his stall hours before dawn.

"It's not my fault, you know. Now hush."

She adjusted the stirrups, measuring them from fingertips to arm pit, and ran them back up again before leading Condor down the road to the Castle gates into the sleeping Sacor City.

A sleepy guard greeted her and opened the small side gate so she could exit without causing a ruckus.

"Thank you, Brenton," she whispered, putting a toe in the stirrup. The guard merely nodded and elbowed his fellow, who appeared to be dozing off against the cold stone wall.

Karigan let Condor hang his head droopily as they walked through the silent city, the only sounds his hooves clomping on the cobblestone streets. It was eerie, Karigan decided, walking through the city at this time, when all the pub-goers had retreated to wherever they went after drinking their fill, the respectable people long asleep in their houses. No one stirred just before dawn; there was no reason to. It was a time for ghosts and angry spirits. Not that she hadn't already had her fair share of those.

A candle flickered on in a house up ahead and Karigan nudged her heels into Condor's sides, urging him into a sluggish trot. He shook his head in distaste and jangled the bridle.

They were nearing the city walls when Karigan heard a faint voice behind her.

"Come along, my sweet. They can't be far. We'll catch them, you just wait and see." Karigan whipped around to see a faint shimmering outline of some ancient soul and his feline companion as they disappeared down a street that had long since ceased to exist, built over by a large line of shops. She shivered and turned back around, eager to reach the countryside before dawn.

She had just exited the city and was debating urging Condor into a ground-eating canter when the hooves of a galloping horse echoed behind her. Huffing irritably, she turned to see King Zachary (of course) riding lopsidedly. One hand clutched at the reins and another was wound in the mane in order to hold the saddle in place. Karigan was unable to stop her lips twitching into what might one day evolve into a smile when she saw his boots. One was a normal, everyday work boot. The other was made out of sky blue fabric and embroidered with silver stars, obviously part of some set of ceremonial robes.

"Karigan!" he panted, slowing when he caught up with her. "What are you-I mean- _why_- where are you going?"

Karigan avoided his eyes, instead looking towards the horizon where the trees of the Green Cloak spread across the horizon, contrasting with the pale pink sunrise showing over the edge of the world.

"I must go back to Eletia."

"_What?_" Zachary's voice was naught but a whisper, a dry, hoarse croak that rasped in his throat.

"You heard me," Karigan replied, doing her best to keep her voice steady, perhaps even a bit haughty.

"But-but why?"

"I can't tell you. I can only tell you that it has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me, Aleron, and the future of Sacordia."

Zachary drew himself up to his full height. Karigan had to admit that he made an impressive figure, even with his mismatching boots. "Well, it will have to wait, whatever it is. Is Mornhavon back?"

Karigan hesitated. "No, but-"

"Is Sacordia under immediate threat of invasion?"

She hesitated longer this time. "Well, not exactly-"

"Then you will return with me to the city. One more day can't possibly hurt, and you deserve a break from trying to save the world."

"Oh, but-"

"Karigan G'ladheon, don't make me pull you off that horse!"

Karigan snorted and glared at him. "I'd like to see you try."

He huffed back at her. "Okay, fine, you win. Only this time try putting some clothes on before the call makes you ride halfway across the country."

_The call_. Karigan had not considered this aspect of her escape. Would the Rider Call even let her leave the city? She wasn't exactly abandoning her country, but she wasn't exactly planning on staying a Green Rider, either…

"Right. I'll come back. But only for a day or two."

The King smiled smugly. "Of course, Sir Rider. Only a day or two." They turned back toward the waking city side by side.

"So, Karigan, I've been meaning to tell you something…"

* * *

"Do you mean to tell me," Zachary exploded, "that after all this deliberation, days of worthless conferencing, you have still not reached a conclusion?"

Many of the Lord Governors looked wary and leaned away from the ferocious king. Just king or no, he could always lop a head off if he wanted to become a tyrant as his brother had been.

Lord Mirwell, naturally, was the first to speak. "My lord, we feel that a more… advantageous match is required of a king. Ties need strengthening with Rhovanny and the Cloud Islands, perhaps you could be persuaded to marry one of-"

Zachary slammed a fist on the table, causing those nearest him to lean away further, trying to avoid being sprayed with spittle. "I do not want to marry a princess!" Zachary roared. "I am the king and can marry whoever I well damn please, and you can do nothing-"

"Actually, my lord," Lord Penburn interrupted, though his manner was rather less oily than that of Timas. "We can. Under the law which you yourself passed, we can vote to-"

"Yes, yes, I know, you can vote to impeach me if you have just cause. However, since I have committed no crime, you cannot."

It was Lord Coutre who spoke this time. "My lord, with all due respect, you write the laws. Of course you have not broken any. However, we fear that this break of tradition will destabilize the country! The people will rebel! Chaos would rein!"

Zachary gave the old man a scathing look. "I think, my dear lord governor, that you care less for the welfare of your people than for perhaps the security of your position. Certainly, if I was a citizen, I would have long since rebelled, due to the fact that our government no longer functions as it was meant to."

An outbreak of protest met this statement.

"You can't possibly-"

"Do you _really_ mean to say-"

"Come now, Zachary!"

The only calm faces in the room were Zachary, Lord Timas, and the faithful Weapons along the walls who had moved forward to ensure no harm came to their king.

Finally, Zachary had had enough. "Silence!"

The Lord Governors stopped mid conversation and stared at him.

Zachary continued. "Yes, I would have rebelled. It is obvious to me that the monarchial system is failing us. When the most powerful man in the country is unable to wed the woman he loves, something is seriously wrong. If you will not agree to this course of action- which, if you look past your personal desires and look at the political advantage of it, makes perfect sense- then you leave me no choice. If you cannot reach a conclusion by this time in three days, very drastic actions will be taken! And I can promise you, if you are a more interested in your positions as Lord Governors than as people of Sacordia, you will not like the coming changes one bit!" Zachary picked up his chair from where he'd kicked it in his anger and pushed it under the table. "Fastion!"

The Weapon hurried to his side at once, and Zachary swept from the room, leaving those behind to notice bemusedly that he wore one brown boot and one blue.

* * *

Karigan limped angrily through the castle, impatiently brushing sweat from her forehead and wincing when she moved the shoulder she was sure she'd just pulled a muscle in. Drent had decided she was now good enough to begin advanced swordsmaster initiate training, a more rigorous training program, in which she was forced to rise early, get out of bed in the middle of the night, and spar during the hottest parts of the day. It was apparently a great honor to be indicted into this elite group . _Bah._ Karigan thought. _Punishment is what it is_.

A hiss from a suit of armor distracted her. Hoping she wasn't about to be harassed by _more _unhappy spirits, Karigan turned hesitantly to see a familiar face poking out behind the left elbow of the decor. She glanced around cautiously before casually changing direction and diving into the alcove behind the suit.

"What are you _doing_?" she huffed at him, removing a pointy elbow from her ribs.

Zachary breathed in her ear, whispering so quietly she could barely hear him. "Be ready in your chambers at 7:00 tonight. I'll send someone to get you. Wear the dress your father sent you.

He was gone before Karigan could interrogate him as to exactly how he knew her father had sent her a dress. It had just arrived earlier in the day. She glared after him, though she wasn't really angry at all. She could never stay angry at him for long.

* * *

Karigan looked once more into the mirror on her wall and once more didn't recognize herself. She was dressed in a simple yet elegant dress of off-white, accompanied by matching, surprisingly comfortable slippers. Her hair, taken out of its typical braid, hung in soft ringlets down her back. A few shorter pieces framed her face. Karigan admitted, though only to herself, that she looked, well…_queenly_. She licked her fingers, styled a lock more satisfactorily, and contemplated her reflection again. It seemed to lack something…

_Bang!_ The door swung open with a crash and bounced against the opposite wall. Karigan dived for the sword the death god had given her before realizing the intruders were Mara and Garth, grinning from ear to ear.

Karigan glared at the pair of them. "Are you two going to tell me what this is all about yet?"

"No," Mara said promptly.

Karigan glared more viciously. "Well, I'm not going anywhere until you-"

Garth interrupted her by bowing deeply and offering an arm. "May I escort the gracious lady to the stables?"

"No," she answered, mimicking Mara's smug tone.

The two Green Riders rolled their eyes. "Too bad," smirked Mara. "You have to go. King's orders."

Karigan opened her mouth to argue but was cut off when Garth lunged for her and carried her over his shoulder from the room. She spluttered indignantly "Garth, I can walk!"

He set her down at the end of the hallway and shoved her out the door into the fading daylight. "Fine," he growled. "Walk." Mara followed them, grinning ear to ear again, before taking Karigan's arm and pulling her towards the stables.

Condor, Chickadee, and one of the cavalry horses Karigan was relatively sure was named Scarlet Star waited for them, tacked up and ready to mount. Karigan attempted to put a toe in the stirrup, only to realize her dress most certainly would not stretch that far.

"Umm…"

Mara looked lost. "We could borrow one of the side saddles,"

"I don't know how to ride side saddle."

Garth huffed and dismounted from Chickadee, giving her reins to the stable boy before he vanished into the tack room. He reappeared seconds later with a large pair of breeches and threw them at Karigan's head. She held them out; they were at least two times the size of her. Vanishing into a stall, she struggled to out them on under her dress. Feeling rather walrus-like, she returned to Condor and hitched up her skirts in order to mount. When she had gotten herself adjusted in the saddle, Garth led the way out of the castle grounds while Mara rode beside her.

"Garth, whose pants are these?"

He shrugged. "No idea."

As they entered the city, a group of dark figures detached themselves from the shadows and joined their small procession. Karigan started to reach for the sword strapped to her saddle, but Mara stopped her with a hiss.

"Shh!"

Karigan was tempted to disobey simply to be difficult, but she refrained from doing so and rode on in silence, glaring at the Weapons who were astoundingly un-stony-faced. One, who she vaguely remembered the face of, but not the name, winked.

Night was falling in earnest and it was pitch black by the time they reached a set of gates Karigan had never seen before. They had followed a winding, circuitous route that she hadn't known existed and she was thoroughly lost. She decided to ask one more time.

"Where are we _going_?"

"Shh," came the reply from Mara and the Weapons. Karigan growled and decided to occupy herself by braiding and unbraiding a small part of Condor's mane. He flicked his ears and plodded on, no doubt wishing he was back in his stall with a nice large bucket of grain.

After ages, it seemed, the group stopped in front of the chapel of a small village. The area was brightly lit by a mixture of torches, and candles. One of the Weapons helped her dismount before vanishing. Karigan strained to see where he'd gone, but to no avail.

Mara bustled over to her and brushed the dust off her gown before standing back to admire her work.

"There. That'll do."

Karigan crossed her arms, prepared at last to get answers, but music started to play from the building and a figure dressed in G'ladheon purple and blue emerged from the doorway.

"Kari?"

Karigan felt her jaw drop and rushed to embrace her father. "Father! But- what are you-"

"Hush, Kari." Stevic G'ladheon held her at arm's length to look her up and down. "You look just like your mother," he whispered. "I am so proud to call you my daughter."

Despite herself, Karigan felt tears well in her eyes. Stevic laughed and hugged her once more. "Oh, hush, now, don't cry! This is about to be the happiest day of your life."

He led her into the church and up the aisle and Karigan understood. She felt the tears start to well up in earnest; if she wasn't careful, they would overflow and that would be _terrible_…

With a rush of sudden clarity, she understood everything, and beamed. She could hardly believe it; she was marrying her love; the Lord Governors had consented; she was to spend the rest of her days in happy bliss; Timas could hardly protest or plan more assassination attempts now that she was to be _queen_…

Karigan tripped on the hem of her gown as that thought hit her. _Queen_. What an awful responsibility. _I'm not meant to be Queen! Who am I kidding_?

And then she saw Zachary, and any thoughts of being Queen fled from her mind.

He was not wearing anything more impressive than he had been that morning (though the boots were now matching), yet he somehow exceeded an aura of handsome glory that she wanted to melt in his arms; he outshone all there, even the pastor, who Karigan now saw was _Aleron_…

And then she had reached the dais and was kneeling before her brother. She vaguely noticed the ceremony going on around her, of reciting the words every child knew, of pledging herself in life and death to the man who meant the most to her on Earth, but the only thing that she was truly aware of was the warm, strong, callused hand of the king sitting next to her, and Karigan G'ladheon became Queen Karigan. A dainty silver circlet was placed on her head and a silver ring placed on her finger and she rose, still hand in hand with her husband, Zachary, King of Sacordia.

Applause rang through the tiny village chapel. Though they filled up only four rows of pews, Karigan's heart swelled to see her dearest friends present. Captain Mapstone, Mara, and most of the Green Riders were there, as well as her family, her three aunts reduced to tears. Fastion sat in the first row next to a group of Eletians, corners upturned in what was the equivalent of a raucous cheer from the Weapon.

And as Karigan and Zachary left the church, hand in hand, to a small house in the village where they had secured lodging for the night, Karigan could have sworn she saw the pale outline of a figure so like herself she could only be Kariny, smiling a bit sadly in the moonlight.


	3. Chapter 16

So it's been forever and a day… I'm sorry. I'm a bad author. You should throw things at me.

Thylacine67 helped write part of this because she's awesome.

* * *

After changing into some cooler clothing for the night's festivities, Karigan and Zachary finally sat down on the queen sized bed and sighed in unison, soaking in the fact that they were finally married. With a contented sigh, Karigan rested her head on Zachary's shoulder and looked up at him dreamily. "I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life," she murmured.

Zachary smiled, "I feel the same." He slowly bent to plant a small kiss on her temple and then her lips to accentuate his statement. Karigan sighed into the kiss and then moaned as her new husband deepened it. She had honestly never imagined a kiss could be so wonderful. When they parted, Zachary whispered, "I love you Karigan, so much."

Karigan wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled his neck lovingly, "And I love you my lord."

Zachary looked down on her with a gleam in his eyes. "My lord?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. Then he growled playfully, scooped Karigan up, and dumped her on the bed, resulting in an affronted shriek. Zachary hovered over her and attacked her lips with his. Karigan couldn't help but moan again; oh what her father would say if he had found them like this on the bed!

When her husband's lips parted from hers to latch onto her neck, she said breathlessly, "I need to call you that more often." Zachary only grunted; his hot breath sending chills down her spine when it met the skin of her neck.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of their room. Zachary snapped back, struggling to straighten his clothes, and called a harried, "Come in." The two were breathless and panting from their encounter on the bed. The door creaked slowly open to reveal Mara who peeked in awkwardly.

Karigan ran her hand through her hair and blushed. "What is it Mara?"

The corners of Mara's mouth quirked upward, "Seriously, you have all night to do that and you want to start now before the reception?"

Karigan and Zachary glanced at each other, Zachary mumbled, "Maybe." Karigan slapped him on his upper arm and he squawked.

Mara smirked and shook her head at them. "Everything's ready, time to make your grand entrance." Mara stepped away and went down the hall as well as the stars to the main floor of the cottage. Karigan briefly kissed Zachary on the lips before standing. Her long, thick locks were let loose and her simple gown fluttered faintly as the stepped outside into the lamp-lit street. The elegant ivory-white garment had short, flowing sleeves and was made out of a soft, lightweight silk that made Karigan feel as if she was floating. The gown had come from Zachary, she assumed, though how he knew it would fit, she had no idea.

Zachary hadn't changed his pants; he now wore a collared shirt of the same fabric as Karigan's dress with the sleeves rolled up. Momentarily, Karigan wished she could have pants on, too, but she decided that for this occasion, a dress was acceptable. She felt a princess from a fairy tale, a desire she'd never had until right now.

Zachary with his arm wrapped protectively around Karigan, and she allowed him, for the moment. She'd have to inform him in the morning that this was _not_ to become a trend. But now above him the stars were popping out against the blackness of the night and the moon was full and white, bathing the festivities in a pearly luminescence. Karigan had always liked the night better. In the bright light of sun, it was easy to forget the sense of serenity which the moon brought with it. She knew Zachary liked the sun better, and wondered briefly if this was going to be an issue which she would have to train out of him.

Not now, though; now, the light glowed and the Gods smiled upon the two newlyweds as they headed toward the village square. There, cobblestones gleamed as they were lit up by strung lights tied from one building to another. There were long buffet tables loaded with food as well as smaller ones for eating. A space in the middle was swept clean and clear of obstructions, obviously meant for dancing. Karigan almost balked, but a familiar voice stopped her.

"Everyone, here's the newlyweds!" Garth shouted, trotting up to the two. Everyone cheered; even the guests joining them from the village, many raised their glasses up to them. Garth clapped Zachary on the back and tightly shook his hand before embracing Karigan in a bear hug that crushed her innards. Mara grinned and yanked Karigan from his embrace, pulling her into the center.

"No, Mara, what are you doing?" Karigan asked, pulling back.

"We are going dancing!" Mara shouted enthusiastically over the music playing by the villagers on the stage.

Karigan glanced over helplessly at Zachary, who just smirked at her obvious discomfort. _Vicious tyrant_ she fumed to herself. To Mara, she shook her head. "I'll pass and watch on the sidelines with my husband. You all have fun though." With a cheesy, artificial smile, she backed away and took refuge behind a buffet table.

Zachary wrapped his arms around Karigan as she watched Mara walk away and join a group of women from the village. The king and queen shared another brief kiss as a new song began and all the men exited the floor.

The musicians began to play a country jig and Karigan watched in horror, thanking fervently every God in existence that she'd left when she had. She blinked as, perfectly in time, the group stomped, skipped, and twirled, skirts flying. They formed lines, stomped another two times, spun around and slid to the left. Behind her, Karigan heard Zachary chuckle and she covered his hands that rested on her stomach with hers. The dancers took two steps forward, spun again, and Karigan looked on as they once again stepped to the right. Zachary caressed the back of her hand with his thumb and kissed the top of her head. Karigan blushed and averted her eyes when the girls shook their arses back and forth, back and forth. The men watching clapped and whistled, laughing.

When she looked back, the dance had sped up. Zachary tapped his foot to the beat and Karigan suddenly felt the urge to join them, but of course she would make a fool of herself. She'd learned the steps, of course, but she hardly remembered them and had always felt foolish dancing anyway. Out of place, like a gull stranded inland. Karigan shook her head as they all finished with the music by spinning around and leaping. How none ended up in undignified heaps on the ground, Karigan had no idea.

Karigan joined in with the enthusiastic clapping for the performance, and also for the fact that she'd escaped. Following the traditional women's dance was the men's, a ferocious tune accompanied by much cartwheeling, leaping and stomping. And after that- Karigan froze. She shoved at Zachary's hands and tried to extract herself from his grasp, intending to plead an upset stomach and gracefully excuse herself.

"Oh, no you don't," came the king's voice from somewhere above her head. The music began again, the traditional waltz of newlyweds, and Zachary led her onto the floor.

All in all, Karigan decided, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. No one had ended up maimed, killed, or otherwise hurt, and she hadn't fallen, though there had been a nasty moment when Zachary had needed to catch her as she tripped over an uneven cobblestone.

Once the song had concluded, their reception guests clapped and Karigan and Zachary walked off of the dance floor as it was filled by other couples weaving a dance with their own partners. Meanwhile, Karigan spotted her father talking with Aleron and a shop owner who sold cloths and jewelry. She and Zachary joined them in quiet discussion on nice, safe topics, like tides of the sea and when the best time to send shipments was. Eventually, Zachary left, and returned with a tray full of what were quite obviously teacups modified to hold wine.

For the duration of the reception, Zachary had his arm wrapped loosely around Karigan. He was the picture of propriety as he listened and contributed to the conversation. Karigan could tell it took her father aback to stand there speaking with the king about mundane, everyday things, but Zachary had come from a seaside province, too, and would have stayed there if his country had allowed it. Standing there with him, she couldn't believe that had taken her this long to admit her love for him as well as accept it from him. It was the most wonderful, beautiful feeling, even more wonderful than large quantities of hot water or biting into a piece of chocolate.

The last dance of the night was a slow, beautiful song. Karigan leaned into Zachary's embrace as they swayed back and forth. Many of the townspeople had left; it was now just the small group of Weapons, Riders, and Eletians as well as Karigan's father, and her aunts, who'd been content to wish her congratulations with proud, somewhat self-satisfied smiles on their faces. A few young couples also wandered around the dance floor.

The song sang plaintively in the surreal moonlight of a land plagued by war and destruction, and a beautiful maiden whose family had been killed in the devastation.

The young prince of the land, riding back from battle, had seen the maiden weeping in her garden, and, enchanted by her beauty, begged shelter for him and his few companions. The two fell in love, and when the evil, powerful lord of the warring country had also ridden through the tiny village, he asked her to reveal where the fleeing prince had gone. The beautiful maiden refused, and he grew angry, but he, too, was enchanted by her beauty and courage and offered her a chance to come with him and be his wife. When she spurned him, he fumed, and told his soldiers to burn the village and everyone in it. But the maiden and her prince escaped. They fled into the night and took refuge in the woods. The evil lord found them, and the prince and maiden fought valiantly, but in the end, the maiden was slain. When he saw her beauty, broken on the ground, the evil lord wept, and repented. He begged her forgiveness, and that of the gods, but it was too late. Driven mad with grief, he wandered the land forever. But the gods smiled upon the maiden and her prince, and Salvistar carried the maiden and her prince to the stars, where they dance still today.

The musicians ended on a triumphant note with a flourish of their bows and rose from their seats, beaming. The one who had played violoncello, harp, and sung came forward, and Karigan gasped in delight.

"Estral!"

"Kari!" The two embraced before Estral pulled back to study her friend. "Are you all right? I heard you were injured."

"Yes, I'm fine- well, better than fine. And how are you?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful." She waggled her hand at Karigan. A ring glinted on it. The Rider squealed uncharacteristically, and Zachary retreated backward, wary of the sudden change in his wife.

"Woah! When did this happen? And who- wait, _Alton_?"

Estral looked slightly uncomfortable. "Yes, you won't be angry, will you? I mean, we would have invited you, but you were sick and we didn't know how to reach you in _Eletia_. And-"

Karigan embraced her friend once more. "Of course not. It's wonderful."

After a few more happy words, the two parted after making plans to meet in one of the various taverns of Sacor City in three days.

On the way back to the inn where they would be spending the night, Zachary pressed his lips to Karigan's temple. "I love you, Kari."

"And I love you, Zachary."

* * *

High King Zachary, ruler of Sacordia rolled over and blinked to clear the sleep from his eyes. Sunlight streamed through the open windows, illuminating Karigan's skin and making it emit an otherworldly glow. The events of last night seemed to him a dream, despite the fact that he'd been planning them for weeks. He studied his wife's face in the soft morning light and marveled at the change that came over her as she slept. She looked precious, dainty, a beautiful flower that needed to be protected at all costs.

Even as he thought it, a fierce wave of possessiveness came over Zachary and he wrapped his arms around Karigan, drawing her close to him. He knew that when she awoke, she would be fierce and defiant again, an untamable wild card whose determination was matched only by her loyalty. So he savored the moment, wishing with all his heart she would let him help when she was awake. But of course, his Karigan was much too stubborn for that.

His thoughts were interrupted when Karigan grunted and wriggled a little. She struggled to free her face from his chest and breathed deeply when she finally succeeded, glaring ferociously at the sunlight.

"How oo dew id?" Karigan's voice was grouchy and raspy, as was usual in the mornings.

Zachary smirked down at her. "Could you repeat that?"

She groaned with the effort of speaking in Sacordian. "How'd you do it?"

"What?" The King's tone was light, but he felt a chill steal through the warm room.

"Get the Lord-Governors' permission."

"Oh… that. Well."

Karigan sat straight up in bed, wide awake. "You didn't, did you." It was not really a question.

"Umm. Well, you see, I-"

"Zachary Hillander, don't you dare lie to me."

"That is, I _will_, but I haven't actually…" His voice trailed off into silence as he was confronted by Karigan's glare. When she spoke, her voice was deadly.

"If you don't get their permission before tomorrow, I'll-"

"You'll what? We're married, as you recall." He waved his hand at her, displaying the ring that last night had seemed such a deep and utter expression of love. "I guess you're just stuck with me." He paused and attempted to draw her back to him. "Is that really such a bad thing?"

For a moment, it appeared that she would waver, but she pulled away from his embrace and staggered out of bed. "I'm leaving."

"Not like that, I hope?" said Zachary, referring to her state of undress.

Karigan gave him a dirty look, obviously not in the mood. Zachary shrugged and lay back down as she began violently putting on her clothes. There was awkward silence for a moment.

The King spoke softly, cautiously. His voice was saturated with concern, and it irritated the Rider almost as much as the fact that her jacket refused to go on. "Karigan. That's a sock."

Karigan glanced down at the offending piece of clothing and growled before stuffing her foot into it. Finally, with all the socks on the right feet, she stomped out the door without even a muttered good-bye.

Zachary waited until he heard her feet on the stairs before slamming his fist on the headboard. He yelped in pain and shook his bruised knuckles before getting up to resume his Kingly duties.

* * *

A tattered, creaky sign hung off the side of the Homely Hoof Inn, swinging gently in the spring breeze. A cloaked figure stared after the departing King for a moment before cursing rapidly in a foreign tongue. The figure then entered the inn, closing the door behind him with a foreboding click.

Blood pooled in the street as the sign creaked overhead.

It was two weeks later that Zachary had finally convinced Karigan to go on a picnic with him near a small lake to the northwest of Sacor City. He found her sitting upon the top rail of a fence holding in a few sheep. When he approached, she glared at him from where she sat. He put the basket down on the ground by the fence and leaned on the top rail.

"Do you want to eat some lunch?" he asked.

Karigan didn't answer him; only continued to watch the sheep, a pastime he'd always found vastly un-amusing.

Zachary sighed and reached up to rub her back, "Please Karigan, we were so happy together. Can we please continue to enjoy this time that we have with each other?" Karigan sighed and looked down at the ring on her finger; she twisted it around in thought.

When she finally looked back at him and shrugged a sign that the argument was put aside but not forgotten.

Zachary smiled and wrapped his arms around her to help her down off of the fence rail. He carried her bridal style with the basket on his arm, to the spot by the lake where they would eat their lunch. In the water, turtles poked their up for air, water lilies flourished, and fish of various species jumped about freely.

When they arrived, Karigan smiled as Zachary almost fell over when setting her down on the sandy beach. He opened up the basket and unfolded the blanket before setting the basket of food on top. Karigan scooted over to sit on top of the blanket, savoring the warm almost-summer air. Zachary asked as he, too, sat down on the blanket, "How has your day been so far Kari?"

Karigan accepted the goblet of wine from Zachary as she answered, "Much better now that we're here together." Zachary reveled in the feeling of her lips upon his as she kissed him.

"What have you done today?" he asked as he fed her a strawberry.

She smiled at him, and then she leaned up to whisper into his ear.

Zachary felt his pulse quicken as she breathed in his ear and snaked her hand under his shirt. He moaned as he bent to nibble on her pulse point on her neck. "You'll be the death of me yet my love," he mumbled. Karigan leaned into him and pushed to take the kiss deeper before Zachary pulled away. "Honey, I need to tell you something," he said.

Karigan continued to nibble on his neck but mumbled, "What could be so important that you need to tell me now?" Zachary began to feel her hand on his peck; his pulse continued to quicken.

"We can't keep doing this," he finally told her.

Karigan snapped back to glare at him. "What?"

Zachary swallowed past the lump of fear forming in his throat. "I'm going to have to stay at the castle." He rushed to explain as he tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear and smoothed it out.

"My love, I'm so sorry but I have to stay close. I'm Sacoridia's king; I can't always be here with you, as much as I want to. And believe me; I want to so much..." His hand started to shake as she stared at him, eyes hard and accusing.

"Please understand Kari. I do love you with all of my heart and so much more. And you do mean more to me than the kingdom, honestly, but I can't put you at risk of being discovered in this relationship with me with the Lord-Governors. I care about you too much to get you in the middle of that." Zachary held her hand tightly, pleading with her.

Karigan tossed his hand away and stood up angrily. "You are, without a doubt, the least tactful, most unpolished _moron_ I have ever met! Here, I was ready to give my heart and body to you and you tell me right before I rip your clothes off that you have to leave?! I _told_ you I didn't want to marry you without their permission for a _reason_! Now we are both stuck in this… living this _lie_, and you want it to _continue_?"

Zachary stood to and reached out to her but she stepped back, angry. "Kari please understand, I-."

"I don't want to hear it anymore Zachary!" she told him, increasing her pace.

"Karigan, please!" Zachary shouted in a last attempt.

* * *

Zachary sighed and put his head in his hands as the Lord Governors bickered. He had called them here weeks earlier to discuss the issue of his marriage, but before he could speak, they had gone at each other's throats, arguing about political alliances and taxes and province boundaries. Why did everything he attempt fail miserably? And how had everything gone from being so right to so wrong? Finally, the frustration turned into rage, a wave of anger that threatened to overwhelm him- and everyone else.

"ENOUGH," he bellowed, standing up and sending his chair toppling. The hall went completely silent and his voice echoed. A weapon curiously poked his head out of a crevice halfway down the table.

The lords stared at him, thunderstruck. This display of temper was unprecedented.

"I have called you here for a reason, or have you forgotten?" The King glared dangerously at the group before continuing. "Now. I have something to say and I will say it _without_ interruption, is that clear?" He eyed the Lord Mirwell distastefully, regretting yet again that there was no proof linking him to the attempted murder of Karigan. He then made eye contact with every one of the lords until they looked away in turn.

"I have done something, something I feel is right but you most certainly will not, seeing as you are for the most part shallow, self-centered, decrepit old men concerned only with what is good for you, and not what is good for your country." Here he paused to allow them time to let the insult sink in. "You will not allow your King to choose his own wife, despite the fact that it is his right. Have you forgotten that the first High King Joneaus married Lil Ambriothe, head of the Green Riders? Yes, I can see you have, but I have not. You allow your selfishness, your wish to 'preserve bloodlines' to cloud your judgment. Karigan G'ladheon would have made a fine Queen. But your selfishness and lust for power have ruined it. If you will not allow me to _choose my own wife_, I will have to take drastic action. I will resign as king. This is final."

Zachary righted his chair and pushed it under the table before leaving the room through a door just to the left of his throne. The uproar that followed was enough to uproot a forest and he saw a few Weapons rapidly vacate the premises. The situation would have been highly amusing, if he wasn't completely serious.

_Karigan's going to kill me._

* * *

Karigan, in the meantime, was busying herself by attacking Condor's stall with a pitchfork. It was completely clean, but she continued sifting through the sawdust, removing tiny pebbles and miniscule chunks of dirt. A few stray pieces of hay floated in through the open stall door, and she put those in the wheelbarrow, too. She gave the stall a final cursory glance, checked to make sure the water and hay were fresh, and left. She walked the wheelbarrow out to the manure pile, stopping first to hang the pitchfork back up on the wall.

Sitting on the fence, Karigan watched the horses romping in the pasture and reflected on how much simpler her life would be if she were equine. It had been just six weeks since her marriage to the King, and she had not spoken to him since. The change in her life was barely perceptible, but it was there, and not just the ever-present escort of Weapons which followed her about. She had put her foot down when one tried to follow her into her room as she got ready for bed. Her current guard seemed to have finally left her alone. Of course, he could just be hiding in the shadows somewhere.

Not for the first time, she wondered about her brother, Aleron. She wondered if he was happy, chasing moonbeams in Eletia. Memories of him and his land haunted her, teasing with memories of warm, happy nights spent gazing at the stars, a carefree time of contentment and security.

She was on her way back to the barn when a sudden wave of nausea made her double over, retching. Karigan collapsed on the side of the pathway, shaking and weak. Aleron had told her she might experience pain where she had been stabbed as the wound healed deep beneath the skin, but this was… different. She took in a deep breath and started to struggle to her feet, only to smack her head on the soft nose of one of the new Rider colts. The creature jerked backward, staring at her with wide eyes. He shook his mane and looked bewildered before snorting and bucking. The little horse took off galloping towards his mother and safety. Karigan chuckled to herself and went on her way, nausea forgotten in the clear light of a healthy spring morning.


End file.
